Wrench set holder



. y 7, 1940- c. H CHUR 2,199,984

WRENCH SET HOLDER Filed Nov. 7, 193a III!" j f mm mm mmL um! lllfil 1 II 2/ I I 7 27 ATTORNEYS {UNITED *sTATE.S' PA ENT oF ic WRENCH SET HOLDER Charles H. Chur, Buffalo, N. Y., assignor to The Keystone Mfg. 00., Bu

of New York halo, N. Y., a corporation Application November 7, 1938, Serial No. 239,210

1 Claim. (01. 206 16) This invention relates to a holder or container iorcompactly enclosing in a disassembled condition the various members of a wrench set so that when the same are notin use they may be stored easily and also carried about conveniently. The object of this invention is to provide a holder or container for this purpose which is very simple in construction and low in cost and which not only permits of readily inserting the various members of the kwrench set into the holder and removing the same therefrom but will also hold the various members of the wrench set securely and prevent the same from becoming displaced while being carried around as a unit.

In the accompanying drawing:

ig. l is a side elevation of the holder em bodying this invention and a wrench set packed therein.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is avertical longitudinal section taken on line 3--3, Fig. 2. I

Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary horizontal sections taken on the. correspondingly numbered lines in Fig. l. 1 I Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section taken on line 6-6, Fig. 1.

Figs. 7 and 8 are end elevations of the holder taken respectively toward the wide end and narrow end of the case and showing the retaining clasps moved out of engagement from. the

wrench set for permitting use of the same.

In the following description similar characters of reference indicating like parts in the several .figures of the drawing:

The several members of the wrench set which are adapted to bestored in the holder or container of this invention may be differently con structed and also varied in number and formand the wrench set shown in the drawing may therefore be regarded as typical of one suitable for storage in the present holder. As there shown this Wrench setcomprises a plurality of sockets 10 each of whichis provided at one end with an angular driving seat H of com- The means shown in the drawing for turningthe socket are of two kinds.

one of which is adapted to turn the socket by means of an oscillating or ratchet action and the others by means of a continuously turning or positive action; The, ratchet action operating means comprise a coupling stud or pin 13 of angular form in cross section which is adapted to engage at one end with the coupling seat i2 in'the small end of the socket and interlocked therewith, and a ratchet handle it provided at one endwith a rotatable ratchet wheel I5 having a central angular seat is which is adapted to receive the other end of the coupling pin 13. Between this ratchet ring and the operating handle 14 is arranged a pawl mechanism 9 of any suitable construction whereby turning of the ratchet handle I 4 in one direction will compel the ratchet wheel to move with the same but permit the ratchet handle to move backwardly independently of this wheel. n

The means for positively operating the socket in both directions preferablyconsistof a longitudinal operating handle ll having a short coupling shank I8 projecting laterally from one end thereof, this handle bar and shank being constructed in one piece and of hexagonal form in cross section so thatwhen this shank is engaged with the angular coupling seat 12 of the socket these parts will be interlocked so that they 7 of the ratchet operating mechanism is placedle-ngthwise over the upper ends of the row of sockets and the coupling stud I3 is engaged at its end with the ratchet wheel 15 while its lower end is placed in the large driving end of the largest socket. At this time the bar I! of the positive operating handle supported lengthwise on the upper side of the ratchet operating handle 14 and is held against lateral displacement thereon by engaging the underside of this bar with a retaining recess 19 on one side of the front end of the ratchet handle M, and the coupling shank I8 of the positive operating handle projects downwardly along the outer transverse side of the smallest socket. The rear end of the ratchet operating handle I4 is preferably provided with the retaining seat I9 on both of its sides so that the longitudinal bar ll of the positive operating handle may be nested with the ratchet handle and interlocked therewith when either of the sides of the ratchet handle faces upwardly, it being understood that the coupling stud l3 may also be engaged with the ratchet wheel l5 from either side of the latter.

The several parts of the wrench set are shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 assembled in the manner just described.

The case of the holder is constructed of sheet metal and tapers in the'direction of its length so as to conform to the contour of thetapering row of sockets which are placed in this case with the largest socket at the wide end of this case and the smallest socket adjacent to the narrow end thereof. This casing comprises. a flat bottom 2%, twoupright longitudinal side walls 25, 2! which converge from one end of the bottom tothe other, a wide upright end wall 22 ex tending transversely across the wide end of the case and connecting the corresponding ends of the bottom and side walls, and a comparatively narrow end wall 23 extending transversely across the narrow end of the case and connecting the corresponding ends of the bottom and side walls.

When the several members of the wrench set are assembled in the holder, the largest socket is arranged close to or engages with the inner side of the wide end wall 22, and the smallest socket i3 is spaced from the narrow end wall 23, and the coupling shank it of the positive operating handle projects downwardly into the space between the smallest socket and the narrow end wall 23. as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

While the positive operating handle is thus assembled with the ratchet operating handle and the sockets, the shank [B of the positive handle is interlocked with the case so as to hold the same against lateral movement therein. This is preferably accomplished by means of a retaining or looking jaw 24 projecting upwardly from the narrow end wall 23 and formed integrally therewith and provided at its opposite lateral edges with retaining or looking lips 25 which receive between them the depending coupling shank iii of the positive handle, as best shown in Fig. 5. By this means the ratchet handle 14 is also held at its rearend against lateral displacement inasmuch as the bar ll of the positive handle engages With the upward facing notch H3 in this end of the ratchet handle, and the opposite or front end of the ratchet handle is held against lateral movement by reason of the coupling stud l3 engaging with both the ratchet wheel and the driving seat H of the largest socket.

The row of sockets together with the ratchet handle resting thereon and the positive handle resting on the upper side of the ratchet handle are held against upwardmovement in the case by retaining mean-s which comprise two clasps mounted on opposite ends of the case and adapted to engage with the adjacent parts of the positive handle bar. Each of these clasps consists of a lower upright retaining arm 26 arranged on. the outer side of one of the transverse end walls of the case and pivotally connected therewith by means which preferably consist of a hollow rivet 2"? extending lengthwise and horizontally through the lower parts of the arm 26 and the adjacent part of the respective end wall. At its upper end each of the retaining arms '25 is provided with a retaining finger 28 which projects longitudinally and horizontally inward from this arm and is provided on its underside with a concave locking face adapted to receive the adjacent upper convex part of the bar ll of the positive handle. Each of the clasps is made of sheet metal which is sufficiently resilient so that the case, this finger will yield sufiiciently to permit its seat to disengage from the handle bar l1.

Means are provided on the case for yieldingly' holding the clasp at the Wide end of the same in an upright operative position, which means preferably consist of an upright retaining or looking jaw 29 formed integrally with this end wall and provided at its opposite lateral edges with retaining or looking lips 36 which receive between them the arm 25 of therespective clasp when the latter is in its upright operative position, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The outer sides of the lips 3i) are rounded or bevelled so that the arm of this clasp upon being swung upwardly from either side of the case into a vertical operative position will engagethe high part of the respective retaining lip by a wedge action and j temporarily deflect the same sufliciently to permit this clasp arm tomove into an upright position between the two retaining lips 39. In like manner the arm of the: clasp at the wide end of; the case upon being moved laterally and down wardly from its upright operative position to its inoperative position will engage the high part of one or the other of the. two retaining fingers 30 and thereby deflect the latter sufiiciently to 'release this clasp.

It will be noted that the mouth of. the retaining jaw which receives the shank {8 of the positive operating handle faces inwardly while the mouth of the other retaining jaw 29 which receives the arm 46 faces outwardly, whereby the positive op-' erating handle is held at both ends against lateral movement. front end of the bar ll of the positive operating handle indirectly against lateral movement the clasp engaging therewith also holds the same against upward movement so that this particular clasp forms the double function of holding the bar of the positive handle against both lateral and vertical movement. The other clasp which In addition to holding the.

is pivoted on the narrow end wall 23 of the case only engages with the bar I! of, the positively operating handle adjacent to the shank l 8 there,-

of and this part of the positively operating handle is therefore held directly against lateral movement by the jaw 24. p 7

By employing separate clasps at opposite ends of the case for holding the positively operating handleagainst displacement these clasps can be manipulated individually more easily than if they were constructed in one piece inasmuch as they are not liable to bind.

Moreover this construction of wrench set i holder, as a whole, can be made of less metal than has been employed for this purpose hereto fore and the several parts are so organized that they are not liable to get out of order when subjected to rough usage. p

I claim as my invention:

A. holder for a wrench set having a plurality of sockets arranged in a row and a handle having an operating bar extending over saidfrow of sockets and a shank projecting downwardly from the front end of said bar and along one end of said row of sockets, said holder comprising a trough shaped case which receives said row of sockets and the shank of said handle. two separate clasps having lower arms pivoted at their lower'ends on the outer sides of the ends of said case so as to swing transversely thereto and case and one of said jaws having a pair of outwardly projecting locking lips which receive between them the arm of one of said clasps and the other retaining jaw having a pair of inwardly projecting locking lips which receive between 5 them the shank of said handle.

CHARLES H. CHUR. 

